Part 1: The Forest of Silent Fangs — First Steps of a Godmind
The forest beyond the Blood River was a labyrinth of ancient trees, their gnarled branches clawing at the twin suns' fading light. Crimson and violet hues bled through the canopy, casting an eerie glow over the undergrowth. The air thrummed with latent energy—ley lines pulsing beneath the earth, whispering of Raptor-5's primal power.
Lalith Roy, a newborn no more than a day old, lay on the riverbank, his tiny body shivering from the Blood River's chill. Yet his mind burned with clarity, a godmind forged in Mumbai's skyscrapers and tempered in the river's crucible. His Causal Dominion System hummed in his consciousness, its interface glowing with vital stats:
Causal Dominion System
Host: Lalith Roy
Cultivation Tier: Bronze 1
System Points (SP): 20
Abilities: Summon Guardian (Basic), Cause Manipulation (Minor)
Achievements: Survive the Blood River (+20 SP)
Lalith's eyes, sharp despite his infant form, scanned the forest. His system-enhanced perception mapped every rustle, every shadow. The forest was alive with threats—beasts, rogue cultivators, and perhaps the cloaked figure who had hurled him into the river.
"Survival first," Lalith thought, his mind racing through a thousand calculations. "Then power. Then vengeance."
He focused, spending 5 SP to summon his Guardian Wolf. The spectral creature materialized, its translucent fur shimmering blue, eyes like embers. It growled softly, circling him protectively. Lalith's system chimed: Guardian Wolf Strengthened: +10% Speed, +10% Durability.
A sudden snap in the underbrush. Lalith's mind analyzed: Predator. Quadrupedal. Weight approximately 80 kilograms. Closing at 5 meters per second. He commanded the wolf to intercept. The creature lunged, claws slicing through a charging beast—a scaled panther with venomous fangs, a Bronze 3 Fangstalker.
The wolf's ethereal jaws clamped onto the panther's neck, but the beast thrashed, its venom spraying. Lalith, with ruthless precision, spent 3 SP on a Minor Cause Manipulation: Shift the venom's trajectory. The spray curved midair, missing the wolf. The Guardian Wolf finished the job, snapping the panther's spine.
System Notification: Fangstalker Defeated. +5 SP. Total: 22 SP.
Lalith's tiny chest heaved, but his mind was already planning. The forest was a proving ground. Each kill, each challenge, would fuel his system and push him toward Silver tier. He sensed a ley line nearby, its energy pulsing like a heartbeat. "Absorb it," he decided. "Begin cultivation."
Part 2: The Palace — Meghana's Resolve
In the Roy Palace, Meghana Kaju knelt before the Eye of Vedanta, its crystalline surface pulsing with blue-violet light. The chamber, once a queen's sanctuary, now felt like a gilded cage. Dust clung to the golden embroidery, a reminder of her fall from grace. Yet her heart burned with a mother's fury.
The Eye's vision haunted her: Lalith, her newborn son, cast into the Blood River. Then, a glimpse of his future—standing atop empires, fire in his eyes, fate bending to his will. The vision had cut off, overwhelmed, as if Lalith's path defied even the Eye's power.
"They will pay," Meghana whispered, her voice cold as steel. The queen's faction—led by Queen Suryani, her former sister-in-arms—had orchestrated her demotion and Lalith's attempted murder. The cloaked figure was their pawn, but who pulled the strings?
Meghana rose, concealing the Eye beneath her robes. She slipped into the servant tunnels, her movements silent, guided by years of navigating the palace's intrigues. Her goal: the Royal Archives, where ancient texts might reveal the Blood River's secrets and its tie to cosmic powers.
A guard patrolled the archive entrance, a Silver 2 cultivator. Meghana's lips curved into a grim smile. She drew a hairpin laced with a paralytic toxin, a relic from her queenly days. With a flick, she struck the guard's neck, his body slumping soundlessly. She stepped over him, her mind sharp with purpose. "For Lalith."
Inside, she found a scroll etched with Vedic runes, its title glowing faintly: The River of Samsara. It spoke of the Blood River as a fragment of a cosmic force, a crucible for those destined to transcend mortality. "A Primordial Entity's tear," the scroll claimed. Meghana's breath caught. If Lalith survived, his system might be tied to this ancient power.
Part 3: The Crimson Stalker — A Cosmic Shadow
Back in the forest, Lalith crawled toward the ley line, his infant body aching but bolstered by a Causal Heat Shield (2 SP). The Guardian Wolf prowled ahead, its senses linked to his. The ley line's energy was raw, chaotic, but Lalith's godmind calculated absorption rates, risks, and rewards in milliseconds.
As he reached the glowing vein of energy, a chill ran through him—not from the cold, but from a presence. His system flashed: Warning: Hostile Entity Detected. Tier: Silver 5.
A figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in crimson, its face hidden by a mask carved with Vedic sigils. The same cloaked figure who had thrown Lalith into the Blood River? No—different energy, more ancient, more cosmic. The figure's voice was a low hiss: "The godmind lives. The Primordial's plan unfolds."
Lalith's mind raced. Primordial? A tier beyond God? The figure raised a hand, summoning a blade of crimson energy—Silver 5, too strong for his wolf alone. Lalith spent 10 SP on a new ability: Causal Blade Array. Spectral blades materialized, slicing the air with precision. He manipulated their cause: Strike vital points.
The blades clashed with the figure's energy, but it countered with a wave of force, knocking Lalith back. The wolf lunged, buying time. Lalith analyzed: Direct combat inefficient. Use terrain. He spent 5 SP to shift a nearby tree's roots, tripping the figure. The wolf's jaws closed on its arm, drawing blood.
The figure vanished in a burst of crimson light, leaving a chilling warning: "The Cosmic Knights watch, godmind. You cannot escape your fate."
System Notification: Engagement Survived. +10 SP. Total: 27 SP.
Lalith collapsed, gasping. The figure's words echoed: Cosmic Knights. A tier beyond God, tied to his system's origin? He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the ley line. He began absorbing its Qi, his Bronze 1 cultivation inching toward Bronze 2.
Part 4: The Ley Line's Gift — A Glimpse of Destiny
As Lalith absorbed the ley line's energy, his system evolved. A new interface appeared:
Causal Dominion System Update
New Quest Unlocked: Tap the River's Source
Objective: Uncover the Blood River's cosmic origin.
Reward: 50 SP, Unlock Causal Reversal (Minor).
Hint: Seek the Vedic Nexus in the Forest of Silent Fangs.
Lalith's mind spun. The Blood River wasn't just a death trap—it was a key to the cosmic tiers. The Vedic Nexus, a mythic site from Raptor-5's lore, might hold answers. His Roy bloodline pulsed faintly, resonating with the ley line, hinting at untapped power.
He sensed his mother's presence through the system—a faint causal link. She was fighting for him, just as he fought for survival. "I'll find you, Mother," he vowed, his infant voice barely a whisper.
Part 5: The Palace — Shadows Stir
Meghana returned to her chamber, the scroll hidden in her robes. The River of Samsara's secrets burned in her mind: the Blood River was a testing ground for those chosen by Primordial Entities. Lalith's survival meant he was no ordinary cultivator. But Queen Suryani's faction would hunt him relentlessly.
She activated the Eye of Vedanta again, seeking guidance. The vision showed Lalith in the forest, a spectral wolf at his side, facing a crimson-cloaked figure. Then, a glimpse of the Vedic Nexus—a glowing mandala of cosmic energy, guarded by Silver-tier beasts. The Eye flickered, unable to see further.
Meghana's resolve hardened. She would rally her loyalists, starting with the palace's forgotten alchemists, who owed her favors. "Lalith will rise," she whispered. "And I'll burn this palace to ashes if I must."
Part 6: The Path Forward — A Godmind's Oath
Lalith stood, his tiny body trembling but unbowed. The forest stretched before him, the Vedic Nexus a distant goal. His system's quest was clear: uncover the Blood River's origin. Each step would bring him closer to Silver tier, to answers, to vengeance.
He summoned the Guardian Wolf again, its form sharper, stronger. "Enemies will fall," he thought, his godmind calculating a thousand paths to victory. The Roy Dynasty, the crimson figure, the Cosmic Knights—all would face his wrath.
The twin suns sank, casting Raptor-5 in shadow. But Lalith Roy, the ninth prince, was a spark in the dark, destined to ignite the cosmos.